“Lady Viola.” He stepped forward after Sebastian had released her. “At last. It is unfortunate that it has taken nearly a decade for us to meet. And now that we finally do, it is under such circumstances.” He kissed her hand in the most gentlemanly fashion, which brought a shy smile to her face.
“You shouldn’t be scolding Sebastian for what has happened. It’s all my fault.” She hesitated. “Or rather, the fault of Lord Lockwood.”
“Lockwood? How so?”
She explained about the accidental publication, the frantic attempts to halt it, the sheer impossibility of stopping a scandal once it had begun to roll. “I shall never forgive myself that Sebastian must bear the entire brunt.”
Sebastian made an impatient gesture. “We’ve discussed this. I see no need to rehash it. It is done.”
“So it is true you intend to withdraw from politics altogether. Your carefully cultivated career.” Philip made a slashing hand movement.
“That is the plan.”
His brother eyed him sympathetically. “You look like you need a rest. Maybe rusticating in the country for a while is exactly the thing before you decide what to do next.”
“Well, when it comes to that, that has been decided. We are in the family way.”
Philip, who had been frowning only a moment before, went utterly still. Then his face broke into a grin of unguarded delight.
“Sebastian. Viola.” He seized her hand again, gripping it warmly. “What wonderful news. I had given up all hope of you two ever reconciling. Uncle Atti and Henry will be overjoyed. Not to mention Charlotte, my wife.”
“I haven’t met Henry yet,” Viola said. Henry was the second brother, the one who had joined the Church.
“Then we must remedy that immediately. A family reunion here at Westwood Hall. Wives, children, everyone.” Philip was still holding her hand, his enthusiasm apparently boundless.
Sebastian reached over and calmly disengaged his brother’s grip on his wife. “Yes. But now let us proceed to the dining room, as I am fairly starving.”
Philip glanced over Sebastian’s dishevelled outfit and raised an eyebrow. “While it is gratifying that you couldn’t even wait to dress yourself properly to greet me, I would rather have you sit fully clothed at the table. Viola can entertain me in the meantime.” He tucked her hand through the curve of his arm with proprietary ease. “Now, Mrs Sable. You must tell me all about your books. Charlotte reads them all the time.”
Philip stayed for three days.The brothers spent much of that time sequestered in the study, their voices occasionally rising through the walls in argument before dissolving into laughter. Viola joined them for meals and concluded that they were very alike: Sebastian and Philip. Perhaps because of that, she took an instant liking to her brother-in-law, a sentiment he clearly reciprocated.
Shortly before he left, he promised to do everything in his power to help rein in the scandal and pursue the publishing company.
“As for this Lockwood.” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you intend to do about him?”
Sebastian and Viola were walking him to the courtyard, where the carriage stood waiting. “He is, of course, dismissed,” Sebastian replied coolly.
“Is he?” Viola crossed her arms. “I was not aware of that.”
“The man has been exploiting you at every turn. He has been pocketing most of your royalties. And for what, exactly? For making a catastrophic mistake and causing a scandal. That alone is reason enough to send him packing.”
“That is fine, except he has been managing my affairs.” She drew her brows together. “Who is going to do that now?”
Sebastian’s lips curved into a smile. “Why, me, of course.”
Viola blinked. “You?”
Philip laughed. “Excellent notion. Next time we meet, you must tell me how that goes.” He saluted, swung himself into the coach, and was gone.
After the coach turned around the curve, whirling a cloud of fine dust in the air, Viola and Sebastian turned to each other.
“We need to talk,” they said to each other simultaneously.
“Sit here,”Sebastian told her, indicating the sofa. Viola sat, smoothing her skirt over her knees, watching him.
He paced before her, running a hand through his hair.
“You heard my conversation with Philip the other day? Of course you did.”
